the gentle vigilante
by finncelineforever
Summary: join fiona as we discover what happens after adventure end for her and cake and fiona goes solo and when a mysterious guy follows this will get righteous paring finn and fiona
1. Chapter 1

**hey guys this is my first story and the sad thing is it isnt mine ill give you the author at the last or second to last chapter. i really loved this story so i got permmisson to do this. so without futher ao here we go**

(fiona POV)

A shadow passed the rooftops of the Kingdom unnoticed by a soul. The streetlamps caught the edge of a cape, but it disappeared without a trace. The footsteps that fell from roof to roof were as soundless as the feathers that scattered in the wind. Speed and grace allowed the figure to move without the smallest trouble.  
>The hooded figure stayed close to the darkest shadows, the night air too clear for her liking. The moon shone beautifully down, but it was inconvenient for stealth. She pulled the hood and cape around her tighter.<br>The small swish of her cape couldn't be heard by even a mouse, much less the palace guards. She flew past them on the rooftops, their heads not even turning as her boots hit a cracked shingle.  
>If that had happened in the night witches kingdom I would be dead by now.<br>The figure thought silently, cursing herself at her own clumsiness. But because she wasn't in the night witches kingdom, she decided to test the protection of the place.  
>It had been two years since she had made her last visit, she wasn't sure how much had changed. Then again, when she had returned five years ago nothing had changed. She had come during the day that time, and yet even without the night air to hide her and the curious eyes of many, she had remained completely undetected. No one had known she was there until she wanted them too. It would remain the same.<br>"Did you hear about the first born? Then say she said her first word."  
>The words from one guard made the figure freeze. She would normally take advantage of the distraction, but the meaning of the words could be significant to her.<br>"Well what did she say?" another guard asked. The girl crept to the edge of the building, peering cautiously over as they conversed.  
>"I think a name. Probably the name of a parent, not sure." The other replied thoughtfully.<br>She almost laughed at the ignorance of the guards. She could kill them in one motion and they wouldn't even have time to think before it happened. No one would even notice their absence until hours later. But she had no enemies here. She wanted to hear more. She silently prayed the guard would say who the child belonged to, yet she felt like she already knew.  
>"You mean you don't even know what she said?" The other guard asked, frustrated at his partners lack of knowledge.<br>"Well you know they usually keep their private lives, well, private." The other said defensively.  
>"Whatever." The other said in a bored voice, returning some attention to his job. The figure could tell the conversation was over. It was time to keep moving.<br>She jumped nimbly from roof to roof, occasionally scaling a wall, her cloak flying behind her like the wings of a black bird.  
>She reached the courtyard. The clock tower was going to chime 2am soon. She wanted to beat it. She hurried past the small stone path, now traveling close to the ground, keeping her head low but eyes scanning. She saw the house.<br>It was the same as before, cozy looking, and quiet. The lights were all out, as normal. She was of course unexpected. The windows were of a fogged glass, making it almost impossible to decipher who was in the house. She climbed up easily, the house being only one story. Quickly and quietly she brought her slight form down into the chimney, going down without even touching the sides.  
>She landed, her feet upsetting the soot only slightly. She was perfectly soundless.<br>Everything was the same. She had only seen the house about five times in her life but she remembered it exactly. The bedroom was just to her right. The door was half shut.  
>She easily walked through the doorway without making contact with any surface. She could see easily in the dark, her eyes large and attentive. She could see the two forms breathing side by side.<br>The smaller one was who she wanted to see. The large, long figure the curled around it might notice its absence, but not if she was careful.  
>And she was always careful.<br>She approached the sleeping figures, the small ones face dreaming peacefully. The figure raised her hands from her side, ready to be as quick as possibly. No noise, no struggle.  
>As fast as lightning she grabbed the small body in her arms and covered the mouth expertly. The failed attempts at sound only touching her hand. She carried the figure into the next room, knowing she had to be quick. She couldn't fight this being silently, she would have to make sure things stayed quiet. The being in the figure's hand was expanding, and the girl quickly dropped it before it sunk its teeth into the air where the girl's hands had been. The girl clutched the neck with her fingers in a way that would not hurt the being but at the same time held control over it.<br>"It's me." The girl whispered softly into the cat's ear. The cat blinked its eyes wide, and the girl released it completely. She knew it was ok now.  
>"You're…..you came back." The cat whispered, her voice full of shock.<br>"I always come back." The young woman replied quietly.  
>"But last time I wasn't sure….you seemed so different." The cat said, gazing up at the girl with awe. The girl looked back down and kneeled, at the Cat's level. She embraced her, feeling the warmth against her body. It had indeed been a long time.<br>"I missed you so much Fionna." Cake said softly into her long loose hair.  
>"I missed you too Cake." Fionna whispered back. But she separated herself quickly. She did not have much time.<br>"Why don't you stay for the night? We can catch up, you can leave in the morning." Cake said, a hint of desperation in her voice.  
>"I have too much to do, I only came for a short visit. Just to see everyone, check in on things, say hello, the usual." Fionna replied gently.<br>"But it's been so long, you don't even know-  
>"That your first born child is a girl who is now one year old, the second born is about three months, and the first born recently said her first word." Fionna replied, cutting off her friend. She smiled at the look of bewilderment in Cake's eyes.<br>"Well, yes….but you don't know their names, and you don't know what her first word was." Cake said, still surprised by Fionna's insight.  
>"The second born is Leo, correct?" She said, unable to keep the smug smile off her face when the cat again widened her eyes in surprise.<br>"So how did you know this time?" Cake asked.  
>"Guards here are always three things; loud, ignorant and gossipy." Fionna said casually.<br>"Right, sometimes I forget how good you've gotten." The cat laughed silently. "And the first born was a girl, and we named her Fionna. Her first word was "tail"." Cake said, clearly happy with herself when Fionna's eyes widened.  
>"You…..named your child after me?" She said in a small voice. She was overwhelmed with emotion for a moment, but composed herself in a flash. She did not stop herself from hugging her close companion though.<br>"Of course I did Fionna, I love you so much. At first L.M. wanted to name her something ridiculous like 'Fluffy' but he knew I would win and-  
>The sound of the clock tower chiming 2am cut Cake off. Fionna looked around, making sure they were still alone. She knew they were, but she had to always check.<br>"I need to go, I still want to see the two others." She said, kissing Cake on the cheek before whirling around and dashing up the chimney. But a long paw clutched her, keeping her from going.  
>"But you haven't even seen them." The cat said in a hurt voice. Fionna sighed and jumped back down. She put a hand on Cake's shoulder.<br>"I know. And you know how much I want to, but….I just can't right now." She said sincerely sorry, and turned away. But the paw still held her cloak.  
>"But when Fionna? Two years is too long." Cake whispered sadly.<br>"Just a few months this time. I really want to catch up, I swear." Fionna replied, and dashed up the chimney, and jumped off the roof, rolling on the ground and sprinting silently in the direction of the castle.

Inside the small house Cake sighed. She knew Fionna was a lone adventurer now, that she was busy, had obligations, had big things to do and large promises to fill, but she missed her so much. A small tear fell down her face, but she let it go, knowing she would see her again. It was never goodbye with Fionna, it just always seemed like it

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**review**

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	2. gumball metting with fiona

Fionna crept close to the ground, walking basically right underneath the guard's noses. They were mostly yawning, both bored and tired. She almost wanted to teach them a lesson, hurt one of them to make them more alert, but she remembered that wasn't who she was. She didn't hurt people for no reason.  
>She leapt over a small hedge and began to climb a thick wall, brick by brick. It was extremely easy to climb, but every now and then she had to freeze to make sure she was invisible to the soldiers. She jumped over the side of the wall, and sprinted along its edge, her balance never wavering on the thin bricks. She jumped from the top of the wall onto a watch tower, which she climbed and perched on top of.<br>She scanned the scene. This one was much more familiar, being a main part of her childhood. She had come here almost every week when she was 13.  
>Now, even 7 years later, she still remembered everything. The taller of two large towers was where the Prince slept. She felt inside her cloak for the small letter she had prepared for him. She would not wake him like she had for Cake, she was simply delivering her greetings and a few interesting stories from her travels. She knew he would read the letter to Cake, so she had included special details that her sister would enjoy. She wished she was able to bring gifts, but even the small letter was dangerous to carry.<br>There were so many people she had made enemies with, there was no telling what they would do to her friends. Doing good always ended with something bad these days, she thought darkly.  
>She scaled the wall swiftly, jumping here and there until she was at the right window.<br>Peering in, she saw a dark form lying in the large bed. She tried the window, knowing it was locked, and pulled a tiny knife, as thin as a needle from out of her hair. She picked the lock, and within a matter of seconds she was standing beside the figure, about to take out the envelope.  
>But before she could the carpet beneath her seemed to swallow her up alive. She became entangled in it, the rug acting like a powerful net, closing in on her. Acting quickly, she pulled a larger knife from her boot and cut open the carpet in quick movement. She rolled out, and jumped to her feet, her knife in one hand. She used her other to reach behind her back, where her long sword always remained. She began pulling it out silently, when a razor sharp blade suddenly appeared beneath her chin.<br>"Don't move." Came a familiar voice from beside her. She couldn't understand how she had not seen the blade.  
>"Lower your hands, and drop the dagger." He commanded.<br>It was barely a knife, she thought, but dropped it anyways and raised her open hands peacefully.  
>"Now, you can go quietly and I can go back to sleep, or I can call the guards and put you in jail where you will be very uncomfortable until you eventually escape." Prince Gumball said, moving the blade even closer to Fionna's neck.<br>"I was planning on leaving quietly anyways, but I was going to give you a letter…." She said casually, smiling as the sword dropped. She could tell he was clearly expecting the Ice Queen.  
>"Fionna?" He asked in a shocked voice. She lowered her hands and reattached her knife to the boot before standing again and addressing him.<br>"How come I didn't notice the blade?" She asked curiously. She wanted to know before she left.  
>"Really? That's the first thing you say?" He asked, bemused.<br>"I know the lock must have been wired, or maybe a stone in the wall, but the blade is brand new to me." She said, picking up the thin sharp sword her had been holding.  
>"Very well, its my own design of course, made from glass. Very breakable, but easily deadly when used correctly." He said, taking it from her and weaving it in the air artistically.<br>So that's why she hadn't seen it, because it was glass. She thought interested. She pulled the letter out from the cloak and held it out for him. He seemed very much awake now anyways.  
>"So you weren't planning on saying hello yourself?" He asked, taking the letter and examining it.<br>"I already told Cake, my time is extremely limited. I actually need to be going now, still one more visit. And it's already almost 3am." She added, looking out the window at the clock. Time was flying tonight.  
>"But it's been-<br>"I know, I know, two years. But I really need to be quick Gumball." She said seriously.  
>"Cant you stay? Just this once? Please Fionna, just one day! Think about all the people who haven't seen you since you left all those years ago." He said pleadingly. She looked at him sadly. She had missed her friend, but she couldn't make any exceptions. When the sun rose she had to be far away, ensuring that the people who wanted her dead wouldn't hurt the people she loved instead. She shook her head. She glanced out the window again. 2:48am. It was time to go.<br>She was about to climb out the window when he grabbed her cloak. But it wasn't completely fastened from when Cake had been pulling on it, and it slipped off. Fionna grabbed for it, but it was too late. She already felt Gumball staring at her face.  
>"Your…..face." He whispered. She didn't look at him, she just pulled the cloak back around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head, hiding the long scar that reached from her eyebrow to her cheekbone on the right side of her face. Her hair covered most of it anyways. She wasn't ashamed of it. To her it was just another battle story, a sign of bravery, a mark of victory that she was still alive but left with the wound. She turned again to the window.<br>"Wait, I'm sorry….I didn't mean anything." He said, grabbing her arm this time. She looked back at him.  
>"I know you didn't. It's ok Gumball." She said, giving him a quick smile and a small kiss on the cheek. She didn't mean anything by it, it was just a friendly goodbye. She had learned long ago to leave some feelings behind when you face death each day. This time she turned for the final time, and swan dived out the window.<br>She let the gush of wind pass her face, pulling a thicker dagger from her waist, thrust it into the side of the wall as she fell. The blade stuck into the stone, and she began to skid to a halt. Her feet touched the ground at the last second. Smiling to herself as she pulled the blade from the wall, she fastened it back to her belt. She took one last glance back, and gave a small wave in the direction of Gumball's window. She didn't know if he saw it, but she felt like doing it anyways. With the twirl of the thick cloak and the silent sound of her boots on the ground, she was gone. An invisible creature flying from place to place.

Prince Gumball watched from his window, his mind replaying the image of her face. In 20 years Fionna had grown to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and the scar only added to it. It was a symbol of her bravery, her incredible courage for everything she did and risked. He touched his cheek where she had kissed him, wondering when he might see her again. He looked down at the thick envelope in his hands, the paper course and apparently hand made. He opened it.

Dear Prince Gumball,  
>I will assume you will share this letter with Cake, and so I write my undying love for her, and my longing to be with her again. Please make sure she knows she is always in my mind and I miss her more than I can tell.<br>I wish I could offer gifts of my travels to the both of you, but unfortunately it is for your own safety that you do not know where I have been. But I do have many wonderful stories to tell you.  
>The first real adventure I encountered was when I cam across mountains higher than anything in even the Ice Kingdom, and climbed them to the top. The air was so hard to breath I thought I wouldn't make it down, and upon my luck I found a dragon's den! After fighting to control it I managed to make my way down the mountain on it, but it took me much further than I intended. After escaping the fate of becoming its dinner, I found myself in the most glorious woods. The trees I saw there weren't even trees, but enormous flowers! The leaves were so big I made a shelter from them, and stayed there quite peacefully.<br>Many stories later, I found a place I think Cake would have enjoyed immensely. It was a place where the moment you passed into its territory you became your spirit animal. I won't tell you what animal I became, rather you must guess and imagine, and perhaps someday I will tell you. It was really very amazing though to walk around and converse with all these people who had been turned into animals, and truly showed the traits of what animals they were. I spent a good deal of time there, helping out with mysteries and crimes that had before been unsolved. All the time I imagined if Cake would actually turn into a different animal, or if she would turn in to a human herself! I also thought about what animal you would be Prince Gumball, but had absolutely no idea. I assume something pink, but there are very few pink animals. I happened to meet a book shop owner who was a goat, and he was very intelligent, but I find it hard to imagine you as a goat, especially with their little beards.  
>It was very difficult getting out though, because I had no idea how to return to my original form. Eventually I learned that by finding the animal that your spirit animal takes the form of, and giving it an offering it accepts with respect you may return to your original state. Again, I won't tell you what my animal was, but I will say it was rather difficult to do this.<br>I'm afraid I am running out of paper, and there are no suitable materials around to make more at the moment. Ink is very low as well, because the poison berries I am using are almost gone, and I'm in a very strange dessert at the moment.  
>Your friend,<br>Fionna

Gumball read it over several times, smiling at every part. He wondered what animal she was, and what animal he would be. He imagined her animal to be powerful, but also gentle and beautiful. Perhaps a stallion, with a long white mane. Or maybe something smaller, that you wouldn't expect to be dangerous, like a fox.  
>The clock struck 3am, chiming and awakening him from his thoughts. He put the letter down on his desk, folding it neatly and went back to bed. But he did not fall asleep.<br>He couldn't stop thinking about Fionna long enough to even shut his eyes.


	3. gum ball and marshal lee

Fionna ran through the forest, glancing up at the moon frequently, determining the time by its placement. She stopped by a pond for some water and to catch her breath before continuing in her hurried pace. When she began to pass clumps of strawberries, she guessed where she was, but climbed a tree to make sure. Reaching the top branches, she looked around, and soon saw the hard surface of rock ahead, indicating she was close to the cave. She jumped down without a scratch and continued her running, still looking back up at the moon every now and then.  
>When she reached the caves entrance, she stopped for a moment and listened. She could hear the faintest sound of music. She smiled. She wasn't sure if Marshal Lee would be home, but she knew he would be awake. She was relieved she would be able to say hello, due to the fact that she had no letter and not enough time to write one in his house.<br>She hopped from stone to stone, not getting a drop of water on her shoes as she delicately jumped. She reached his door, and deciding it would be more fun to prank him then spend time breaking any ice, she tapped on the door before sprinting silently around the other side. She reached a window in a separate room.  
>"Hello? Who's there!" She heard him call from the other room. She opened the window silently and crawled in, placing her back against a wall. She heard a frustrated sound and the door slam shut. She couldn't rely on foot steps to tell her where he was, so she waited for the sound of other object moving. She knew that when he was annoyed he played with things.<br>She soon heard the clatter of plates coming from the kitchen, and moved stealthily into the next room, where she cautiously moved her head from around the corner.  
>His face was hidden behind the refrigerator door, his feet high in the air as he grumbled and looked for something red to eat. She crept forward, keeping close to the wall incase he looked around the door for some reason. She inched her way around the furniture, until she stood behind him, motionless. She watched him for a good five minutes as he rummaged through draws muttering to himself. She began to get impatient, and was just about clear her throat when he slammed the door shut, a few cherries in his hand.<br>He floated straight past her without even seeing her. She smiled and waited.  
>Sure enough, he froze, a cherry halfway up to his mouth, and turned his body as slow as a snail to face her. Eventually they were looking at each other, him with his mouth just as wide open as his eyes, she smiling and seconds away from bursting into laughter.<br>She lunged at him, tackling him to the ground and sending cherries flying and she laughed and hugged him. He still couldn't speak, but hugged her back.  
>"Got you!" she said, still laughing hard. She jumped up and pulled him with her, but he just kept staring. She didn't really feel awkward or embarrassed, it was a surprise after all.<br>"Well I just came to stop bye, say hello and that I'm alive and all that junk. I'm leaving pretty soon, gotta get back to slaying and hunting and such." She said easily, unhooking her cloak and hanging it on his unbearably hard couch. She began picking up a few cherries, placing them in a small sack tied to her belt that was used for emergency supplies. She had ran out of food on her way there, and hunting for things to eat usually took her a few days.  
>"Holy crap!" He yelled out of no where. She looked at him curiously. She didn't mind that her scar was showing, she knew he wouldn't care.<br>"What?" she asked, still picking up cherries.  
>"You're older than me!" He yelled, his eyes still wide as plates.<br>Fionna just laughed at his expression, picking up the last cherry.  
>"I'm stealing some more food, ok?" she asked, already making her way towards his fridge.<br>He beat her there, holding the door closed. She crossed her arms, an eyebrow raised challengingly.  
>"So that's it? Tww years without a word and you're leaving again? After five seconds?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.<br>"I can't stay Marshal, I only came because I knew it was safe. But I already told Cake I'm coming back in a few months." She said, placing her hands on her hips and staring defiantly at him. He starred back, but eventually opened the fridge, and tossed her some apples. She caught each one and tucked them into the bag.  
>"Thank you." She said with mock sweetness.<br>"No probs cotton tail." He added with a smirk. She turned red. Yet another nickname associated with her old hat.  
>"Hey, that hat-<br>"Was the love of your life and you wanted to marry it blah blah blah." He said, taking a bite into one apple, sucking it into a gray husk.  
>"Well you can't make fun of me for it anymore, it's gone. I gave it to Cake when I left. You remember." She said stubbornly, still remembering when 5 years ago she had passed it on along with a few wedding gifts, as a promise she would always come back.<br>"Yeah I remember, but sometimes it's hard for me to accept change. I mean look at you!" He said, eyeing her.  
>"What?" She said, suddenly self conscious. She didn't think there was anything wrong with her. She wore thick dark gloves and a leather top, rough and battle ready. It was shoulder less and sleeveless , one shoulder always had an interesting piece of metal with a blue sun engraves in it, and fit her shoulder perfectly for armor. She almost always wore her cloak so she never really needed sleeves. She had a large belt with multiple pockets and things attached, including a few throwing knives, the thick dagger, and the satchel for food. Her pants were a light kind of leather material she had found, and they were good for easy movement. She didn't know what the material was exactly but she liked it. Her boots were old and rugged, but made of strong hide. Part of them was fur covered and provided great warmth. She thought her attire was perfectly normal for someone like her.<br>"Well, before you left you dressed light a normal person, what with the blue shirt and skirt, then the next time I saw you the skirt was gone and you had pants, which wasn't a big change, and then you got the cloak and started wearing that metal thing on your shoulder, and now BAM! You got this totally kick-ass Fionna!" He said, punching the air when he said 'BAM'.  
>"Oh, well adapt to survive, right?" She said, relieved he wasn't going to give her hell about going all out with whatever she found basically.<br>He smiled at her, but he frowned just as quickly.  
>"So you really gotta just go? Just like that?" He said, his eyes like puppy dogs. She walked over, playing with an apple in her hand which she threw into her bag before hugging him.<br>"I have to Marsh, I have a whole separate life now." She said sadly, smiling at him.  
>"Yeah, but not even a full day to visit?" He asked, sulking.<br>"Just for now, I have some stuff I need to take care of. After then I'll be able to visit for a full week." She said, not completely honest.  
>"Really? Well that's fantastic! We can finally catch up!' He said, grinning so wide she could resist going along with it.<br>She jumped over to the widow and opened it, sticking her head out to check on the moon.  
>"Dam, I need to get moving Marshal." She said, grabbing her cloak and pulling it around her shoulders.<br>"Hey, you promised!" He said, making her stop.  
>"What?" she asked cautiously. She hopped she hadn't forgotten something important.<br>"You said, last time you came, I could give you a birthday present." He said, floating to him room.  
>"Oh….Marshal, I can't-<br>"Too late. You promised." He said smugly, as he began riffling through his room.  
>"Er…fine." She sighed, again checking on the moon. It looked like it was maybe 4:15am, and she needed to be at least halfway back by 6. It took a full hour just to get past the Ice Kingdom.<br>"Catch!" He called from behind. She wasn't expecting it, but she still caught it easily, her reflexes lightning fast. It was small, the box old and covered in red velvet. She examined it feeling the soft fabric, enjoying the feel of it. She opened it.  
>"Oh, no Marshal I can't take this…"She said looking up at him.<br>"Well then you are officially a terrible person because you promised." He said, crossing his arms and looking stubbornly at her. She sighed. It was so beautiful, but what if it got broken?  
>"But everything I own always gets destroyed…" She said, biting her lip.<br>"Not this one, stones like that don't break. Maybe its cursed or something." He said nonchalantly.  
>"Is this gonna make my head explode of something?" She said warily, not liking the sound of cursed.<br>"No, no just really strong. Maybe the person who owned it before my family wanted it to be special but it backfired and now its not theirs…..I don't know. My mom wore it once but nothing happened to her." He said, shrugging.  
>"Wait, is this your mother's?" She asked, horrified at the idea.<br>"No she only wore it once, and she hated it. Said it made her feel like she had a soul again, but I don't actually think that's a bad thing." He said, chuckling a little at the memory.  
>"Well…..ok I trust you." She said, smiling as she pulled the sparkling light blue gem necklace over her head. It almost seemed to glow.<br>"The box says that when you're really in trouble, it can help. That's why I thought it would be good for you, what with all the fighting." He said, scratching the back of his head a little embarrassed at giving her jewelry.  
>She hugged him tenderly, and then back away, one hand on the window.<br>"It's perfect. Thank you so much Marshal." She said kindly, stepping halfway out the window.  
>"And don't forget, you said you would come back soon." He said warningly as she began stone hopping away.<br>"I promise, if I don't come back soon I'll…..do something crazy!" She called over her shoulder as he leaned his head out the window, smiling at her.  
>"Just a few months!" He yelled over the water to her.<br>"Just a few months!" She repeated back, he cloak flying behind her as she sped across the landscape.

Marshal sighed, watching her sadly. He really missed his friend. He hopped she would keep her promise. He hated that she was two years older than him now. He hated being the youngest. He didn't like hanging around with Gumball because he only wanted to talk to him if he had news of Fionna, and he was always working on some new invention or formula. It wasn't much fun playing with Cake anymore because she was married and had Mocro now.  
>He floated back over to his bass, and began to strum mindlessly.<br>He had never really felt so lonely.


	4. the note

Fionna was still running flat after two hours. She wouldn't stop until she was far enough away that even when every old memory and feeling crushed her aching chest she couldn't turn back. She would not return now, not after all the precautions she had taken. Her friends knew nothing about the danger they were in, and that was the way it should be. It should especially be kept from them how much danger Fionna herself was in. They would only want her to be safe, and safe was the last thing that she would ever be. To be honest, Fionna didn't really know if she wanted safe anymore. She liked her life, even if it was hell most of the time. She did what she was always meant to do, which was to keep the innocent safe and bring down the guilty. She didn't know if she was happy, but she knew what she was doing. She knew what she was getting into when she began this.  
>She was still running steadily, feeling her lanky but strong body move easily and swiftly. She kept her eyes open for anything around her that might be cause for alarm. It was still just before dawn, the pink light coming up slowly. The thick trees above weren't going to give her much cover soon, but they still allowed her to keep to the shadows. Her body still did not protest even as she ran, lack of food and water not affecting her much at the moment. She hadn't slept for at least 24 hours, maybe more, but she had trained herself to be able to go up to three days without sleep and still functioning.<br>She kept her head down as she ran, making sure the hood covered her face. The cloak was flying behind her. Her body wasn't even perspiring yet. She allowed her thoughts to tumble freely for a moment.  
>An image of Cake came up, holding her white hat, looking confused. She hadn't really accepted that Fionna was leaving until she was gone. The next image was a smile of Gumball's face before she had said goodbye. Another was the song Marshal had been playing before she hugged him and left for the journey of a new life.<br>Her first real adventure by herself had been helping a society of mer-people reclaim their land over lake knights. The mermaids had wished for her to be their queen and marry their youngest royalty, a handsome merman who looked 17, but had actually been 84. He had confessed his love for her on her third week of living with them, but she had already politely declined their offer of ruling, and she could not stay in one area for too long anyways. She had lied to the merman and said that she was cursed to live a life without love, but really she just thought he was too sweet to end up with someone as dangerous as she. Fionna had visited the people last year, taking note on how unhappy the prince had seemed in his new marriage, and how quickly he had seemed ready to break if off for Fionna. She wasn't very pleased with the idea of such a disloyal person as a husband, but she hadn't even really loved him to begin with. She left after two days, politely wishing the couple well and apologizing for her early departure. In all fairness, thieves and villains didn't get caught on their own, and the neighboring village had been getting worse for a long time crime wise.  
>She tripped over something and stumbled for a moment, before cart wheeling on her hands and landing smoothly. She turned her head sharply, wondering what she had not been able to see through the fog of memories.<br>A chest, long and thin, almost the exact same shade as the patch of moss it was on lay before her. It could've been there for centuries, or just moments. She gingerly touched it with a small swig, and when nothing happened she began to swish the twig around the chest, making sure it wasn't trapped. She slowly extended her hand, the other tossing the twig aside and pulling out the knife from her boot.  
>Nothing happened when she touched the thing, and even more surprising was that there appeared to be no lock. It was also suspiciously shinny and modern-looking, which suggested it had been placed here recently. She looked around quickly, wondering if she was being watched at that moment. But she felt no eyes on her, and saw nothing. She cautiously opened the long thin chest.<br>A small piece of parchment lay inside, neatly wrapped and sealed. It explained the shape of the chest, but not its purpose. She took out the paper, and unrolled it, reading the messy handwriting.

Stop running

Fionna reread the short writing. She didn't want fear to get the better of her, but the message disturbed her. Was there any way it was just a coincidence? What were the chances someone else would find this message and it would have meaning to them?  
>Fionna shoved the message back into the small chest and threw it back where it was, sprinting behind a tree a few yards away. She pushed herself against the tree, looking around with wide eyes. She began to climb the tree, reaching the top in less than a minute, and hid among the branches and leaves, frozen.<br>She waited for at least 15 minutes without moving.  
>But she began to doubt herself. If someone had been watching her, knew her story, why would they have stayed hidden? What was keeping them from attacking her? Or worse…..her friends. And this person clearly knew she had been running away from somewhere. But did they know where?<br>Fionna shook her head. She was being paranoid. Weirder things had happened, she had found lots of strange messages. One time she found a tiny slip of paper that had said "Today is your lucky day." And she had found a mystical golden axe. She jumped out of the tree, and began her continued running. She ran even faster now, wishing only to be more separated from the paper. The more distance she could put between herself and everything she wanted to be with, the better. The message couldn't have been for her. It just couldn't have.  
>But every inch of her wanted to turn around and read it again. She wanted to sit there until someone came to get it. Because someone had to get it. Because there was no way it was meant for her.<br>But what if it was?  
>Shut up<br>She told the voice in her head.  
>Don't let it distract you<br>But what is it WAS?sssss


	5. mr mystery

Gumball was pacing his bedchambers thoughtfully. He starred into space thinking miserably about Fionna. He had been awake since she had set off his small alarm at 3am, and by now it was almost 7. He would crash at some point during the day, but for now he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts, his mind half crazed with worry and questions. He had thought about Fionna non-stop for five years, the last two especially in particular. He really worried about what she was doing, if she was taking care of herself, if she was ok. He wanted her to come home so badly. She belonged here after all, didn't she? Wasn't this her home?  
>But he guessed it wasn't anymore. She hadn't returned in 2 whole years, and she hadn't even planned on saying hi. Did she really care that little for him now?<br>Gumball had always considered their friendship to be extremely strong, maybe even more than friendship. He knew he had always loved Fionna, but after she left and he realized how much her presence meant to him, he began to think about her much more often, and in a different light too. He missed her so much. He was constantly feeling distracted by her absence, and his mind was always drifting to her. He thought everyday about when she left.  
>"But where will you go?" He had said.<br>"Somewhere, anywhere, everywhere." She had said simply.  
>"But when will you come back?" He asked, her hand in his.<br>"Come back?" She had asked blankly.  
>"You…you weren't planning on coming back?" He asked quietly<br>All she had done was stare at him sadly, a guilty look in her face.  
>"But you will come back, wont you?" He asked again, a little desperation in his voice.<br>She had hugged him tightly, and he held her in his arms for what felt like a very long time before she pulled away, throwing her bag over her shoulder.  
>"I promise I'll visit." She said softly, and disappeared out the door. He had been the last person she said goodbye to. She had told Cake first, and then Marshal Lee. They had both taken it hard.<br>It was still hard for him to understand why she had left at all. Cake said Fionna had been moving towards it for a while, even before she announced her engagement with Mocro. It was really when Cake announced it that Fionna had really seemed to change. She became distant, not cold, but not as warm either. Cake knew Fionna would have been fine on her own in the tree house, and Fionna had agreed fully, and the wedding had been planed and proceeded. Fionna had been by Cake's side every moment, but all the while there had been that change…..that small part of her that was just off. And then the marriage, and Fionna was the maid of honor, and Gumball thought she had never looked more beautiful, but her eyes had been so sad. And the next day she told the three of them, and she left.  
>That was 5 years ago, when Fionna was 15 and Gumball was 20. Now Fionna was 20 and he was 25. It felt so strange to see her change so drastically over such long periods of time. The older she got, the younger he felt. Just last night, she had been so tall, so graceful and elegant in all her glory and adulthood. She showed the signs of growth and understanding, of new comprehension and intelligence. Her image would be frozen in his mind for at least three weeks, his memory observing every piece of her. She wore a thick cape, suggesting cold climates and a need to secrecy, and she had leather armor, so she was protecting herself more than she had before. Her hair was still long golden curls, impossible to contain within the hood. And her eyes, so large and blue, but so full of knowledge and worry, so full of everything wonderful and terrible.<br>A heavy thud came from his wall. He turned his head, his deeps thoughts interrupted. He stared at the place where the sound had come from.  
>He looked to his small alarm indicator, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. If a bird landed on the window sill, the light would beep mildly, something heavier and it would awake him with a soft hum and red light. Right now it was ticking away happily, not showing any signs of worry.<br>But the heavy thud came again, this time in the same place. Part of the wall actually shook, and dust fell from the shelves. Gumball walked over to the wall and placed his ear against it. He listened carefully. He couldn't hear a thing. He moved to the window and cautiously opened it, ignoring the small beep of the alarm. He stuck his head out and examined the surroundings. It was a bright day, and people were walking about in town. The palace gardens were in bloom, and no one was around.  
>"Figured you'd get curious." A voice came from behind Gumball. He spun around, only to find a sharp knife pointed in between his eyes. He looked up at the knife's owner.<br>It was a man, maybe younger than him, but very tall and strong. His hood covered his face, and Gumball could barely make out a mouth moving.  
>"Shut the window." He commanded. Gumball obeyed, his eyebrows furrowed in anger at this stranger.<br>"Good. Now turn off the alarm thing." He said, making a small motion with his other arm at the alarm indicator. Again, Gumball begrudgingly did so. He continued to look at the man, trying to make out his face, or even a hint of where he was from. But he was covering himself well.  
>"Who are you?" Gumball asked determinedly.<br>"That's something you don't need to know. Not yet anyways." The stranger replied, smiling a little at Gumball, which infuriated him further. Yet the man did not seem cruel, rather determined. Gumball felt as though he didn't necessarily have to worry about the knife actually piercing his skin, much like how Marshal Lee was constantly pestering him about the possibility of death even though he would never bite Gumball.  
>"Why are you here?" Gumball said sternly, trying to make eye contact with the figure, but he was still unable to.<br>"I saw her here last night. The girl. I know she was here." The man said. Gumball's insides froze. He immediately put on a blank face, and stared dumbly at the stranger.  
>"I don't know what you're talking about." Gumball said with what he hoped was a convincing voice.<br>"You're not a good liar." The man's voice suddenly became low and slightly menacing. "I need information you have. Now tell me about the girl." He continued.  
>Again, Gumball played dumb, looking at the stranger with confusion and anger, a fair mask for fear and worry.<br>"Do you mean my maid? I can assure you-  
>"Don't. Lie. To me. I don't like it when people lie." The man said sternly, and Gumball felt the icy tip of the dagger touch his skin. Gumball remained silent.<br>"I know she was here. It took me months to find her and I saw her come here. And judging by how you were looking at her when she disappeared again, you care about her. Is this correct?" The man asked in a calmer voice. If Gumball hadn't been furious and shocked by the extent of the stranger's knowledge, he would have noticed the man's voice was gentle.  
>"What exactly do you want?" Gumball asked through clenched teeth.<br>"I want to know where she is." The stranger replied. Gumball laughed coldly.  
>"And you think I do? You think anyone does?" He said bitterly. The man stood very still for a moment before speaking.<br>"But surely if you care so much for her you would know her whereabouts?" The stranger asked softly.  
>"You don't know anything. You have no idea who I am." Gumball replied stubbornly.<br>"Ha! You're even more clueless than I thought! I got past your little alarm, I snuck into your room, and I have you at knife point and you STILL refuse to accept that I have bettered you!" The stranger said, in a different voice now. It was more playful, and a bit triumphant. Gumball clenched his teeth harder, and balled his hands into fists.  
>"You listen-<br>"No. you listen to me," He began, cutting off Gumball. "I've been tracking her for over a year now, and I want to see her. Every single time I even get close to her she disappears like the wind. She never stays in the same place for more than a minute, but last night…..last night she came here. This was the one place I was able to see her at, and I almost had her. But then I saw you looking out the window, and I knew she was gone. And don't you DARE think I don't know anything about YOU, Prince Gumball of the Candy Kingdom, 25 years old, brainy but somewhat ignorant, and very, very distracted." He finished, pulling out a slip of paper and wagging it in Gumball's face. To the Prince's horror, it was Fionna's letter. His eyes widened before he could stop himself.  
>"And there it is. I can see it in you eyes. Your feelings for the girl. Any yet you still don't know where she is, or even the exact places she has been." As the stranger spoke, Gumball felt himself heating up, his anger boiling inside of him.<br>"Stop it! You have no idea what this has been like for me!" He shouted, feeling the metal brush his skin again warningly.  
>"Keep your voice down. And I know exactly what you've been feeling, because I've felt the same way. While you sit in your candy castle all day, I've been relentlessly tracking a person who I want to meet more than anything in the world, a person who simply comes to you while you do nothing. You may think you care about her, but you've done nothing. Now tell me. Who is she?" He asked seriously, moving even closer to Gumball, tucking the letter away in his cloak. Gumball watched it until it disappeared.<br>"I'll die before I let you touch her." Gumball said quietly. He felt the knife cut his skin as the stranger's arm flexed in agitation.  
>"Then you have chosen to be nothing but a coward. You-<br>He broke off suddenly, looking at the window. Gumball looked too, but he found himself being flung across the room before he could see what was happening. He heard a loud noise like flesh on wood, and looked up.  
>"Haha I broke your window Bubba-<br>Marshal Lee stopped at the sight of Gumball on the ground. Bewildered, Marshal came into the room, too quickly for Gumball to shout.

**DADADAAAAA! can you POSSIBLY guess who the mysterious man iiiiissssss? ya i no its really obvious but come on i cant just bring him in without a little action. up next: first meeting**


	6. mr mystery part2

"LOOK OUT!" but of course he was too late. The hooded figure was on top of Marshal, and had one arm around his neck, his other hand holding the knife under Marshal's chin.  
>Marshal struggled for a moment, but stopped as he noticed the knife and growled furiously.<br>"WHAT THE HELL?" He shouted, thrashing and trying to get away from the knife. Gumball jumped to his feet, not sure what he was doing.  
>"Take one step closer and your friend dies." The stranger said calmly, holding Marshal down.<br>"We are NOT friends you ass hole, now get the hell off of me." Marshal hissed.  
>"Shut up you. I'm running out of patience and time. Start talking prince." He commanded Gumball, who stood frozen, his teeth bared in furry.<br>"What's he talking about?" Marshal asked as he continued to struggle pointlessly. He was only getting his neck cut, but the wounds healed just as fast as they were inflicted.  
>"Let go of him. He won't tell anyone about you, and we can talk." Gumball said, trying to sound calm and persuasive.<br>"Sorry, but if you don't want him dead he makes a good tool against you." The man said in an equally calm voice.  
>"What are you talking about?" Marshal said, now addressing the man, all the time hissing and growling.<br>"I didn't read to far into the letter, but I believe her name is Fionna." He said, saying her name carefully, as if it was a fragile object. Marshal froze.  
>"Ah! So you know her too…" The man said, sounding surprised and interested. Gumball mentally kicked himself. Of course Marshal cared about Fionna, and he didn't have a clue on how to negotiate. Gumball silently begged that Marshal wouldn't say anything.<br>"What do you want with Fionna?" Marshal hissed. Gumball brought his hand to his forehead, slapping it hard. He groaned internally at Marshal's stupidity.  
>"Just tell me about her. That's all I want, then I'm gone." The man said easily, making it sound like the smallest favor.<br>"Why?" Marshal asked suspiciously, his eyes hardening and glinting red.  
>"That's my secret. Maybe I'll share it later." He said sternly.<br>"Well I'm not telling you anything. If you barge into gummy's room and attack me I don't think I want you around my friend." Marshal said coldly.  
>"When was the last time she visited you?" He asked, ignoring Marshal's statement.<br>"6 years." Gumball said automatically. Maybe if this man though Fionna didn't come often he wouldn't wait around for her. And she said she was coming back…..  
>Gumball stared hard at Marshal, and when their eyes met, Marshal narrowed his, but remained silent.<br>"I guess she must really not like you guys." The man said in a joking manner. Marshal hissed.  
>"She likes me just fine!" He shouted angrily, his cheeks glowing dark. Gumball groaned. He prayed Marshal wouldn't say anything else.<br>"Oh? If she likes you so much, how come she stayed so long at this guy's place?" The stranger asked calmly. Gumball felt his insides squeeze. He had a very, very bad feeling about what was coming next.  
>"She…she visited me too!" Marshal said, but not as confidently.<br>"She did? But did she kiss you as well?" The stranger asked in a casual tone.  
>"Marshal, don't listen-<br>"She didn't kiss him!" Marshal shouted at the man, ignoring Gumball. Marshal's face was flushed.  
>"Why don't you ask your "friend" over there then?" The man replied. Marshal turned to Gumball.<br>"Don't listen to him, he only wants to get Fionna. Marshal, don't listen." Gumball said, trying to calm Marshal down.  
>"Did you two kiss?" Marshal hissed out.<br>"Marshal, you have to ignore him." Gumball said, trying desperately to avoid the answer.  
>"Answer the question gum-butt!" Marshal said angrily, apparently forgetting he was being held hostage.<br>"No, we didn't, now calm down-  
>"He's lying." The hooded man interrupted, whispering in Marshal's ear. Marshal's eyes flashed red and he growled.<br>"No! I'm not!" Gumball said frantically, but he felt his face heating up.  
>"I bet she even sees him more than you. She probably visits him all the time…." The man said calmly to Marshal. Marshal himself looked like he was going to burst.<br>"She visits me all the time!" Marshal growled, looking at Gumball.  
>"Marshal, don't!" Gumball pleaded.<br>"She even promised she would come see me soon!" He hissed. Gumball covered his face, defeated. It was out, the stranger knew.  
>"Marshal, what have you done?" the prince said miserably.<br>"Me? If you could protect yourself for five minutes without someone-  
>Marshal stopped and stared into space for a moment, finally realizing what he had just done. His mouth opened in horror.<br>"Guess I have a reason to stay after all." The man said quietly.  
>"No, wait, I didn't mean it." Marshal said feebly. The Man ignored him.<br>"What does she have to do in the meantime that's so important?" He asked, more to himself then the two others.  
>"What do you want with Fionna? If you don't mean any harm, I'm sure she will be happy to meet you." Gumball said, trying to sound reasonable. The man brought his attention back to Gumball.<br>"I don't mean her any harm, but I don't quite feel comfortable telling you my background information." The stranger replied.  
>"What makes you so special?" Marshal asked bitterly.<br>"I told you, none-  
>Gumball had taken advantage of his distraction and thrown himself at the man. Marshal saw Gumball coming first, and tried to wiggle away from the weapon and the three fell to the ground. The knife still managed to cut Marshal, but not so much that he would die. He was however bleeding too badly at the moment to help Gumball as he tried to wrestle the knife away from the clearly more powerful being. Gumball was thrown back, and hit the door loudly. The sound set the alarm off again, and it began to buzz. Through the pain Gumball was still able to comprehend the situation. The alarm had gone off, and if he didn't turn it off in exactly 2 minutes his guards would come, and there was no way the stranger could turn it off without him. Gumball raised himself off the floor to see the man dodging Marshal Lee, as Marshal Lee dodged a now full sword. Gumball dashed to his drawers and opened the second one down, and pulled the large dagger he kept in the hidden pocket. He made his way carefully over to the man, making sure to stay low and away from the slashing blade. Marshal managed to claw at the hood, and it fell back a bit.<br>Gumball took this moment to lunge at the man with his dagger, but felt a sharp pain in his chest as he was kicked back. He heard Marshal hiss as the window was opened, letting in the sunlight that Marshal was not prepared for. His umbrella had been tossed somewhere when he had first been attacked.  
>Gumball looked up to see the man heading for the window.<br>"Marshal! Grab him!" He yelled, trying to get up despite his severely bruised and possibly broken body.  
>"I can't!" Marshal hissed back, flattening himself against the ceiling, out of reach of the sun.<br>Gumball looked over to the man who was now halfway out the window. He could see up to his nose now. The skin was a light tan color, and the mouth was set in a hard frown. He thought he saw a flash of blue in the hidden eyes, but wasn't sure. He was gone in an instant.  
>Guards broke down the door at that moment, sending a large chunk of wood at Marshal's face.<br>"Sire!" the first night yelled, noticing the prince on the ground.  
>"Get him! The man in the cloak!" Gumball yelled, ignoring there efforts to help him as he pointed at the window. A few ran to it and looked down.<br>"There is no one there Prince Gumball!" one guard informed him.  
>"Impossible! He was just there!" hissed Marshal, who remained attached to the ceiling.<br>The guards raised their weapons in surprise at Marshal's presence, not trusting the vampire.  
>"Leave him, we need to find the man in the cloak." Gumball commanded, lifting himself yet again with the help of a guard and stumbling towards the window. He looked out.<br>Sure enough, there wasn't a soul around, and he could easily see the simple candy people walking about in town, unaware of any difference. Gumball stared for a moment, before turning back to everyone.  
>"Search the entire kingdom. Any stranger should be brought here for questioning." He commanded.<p> 


	7. they meet

**ok so here we go there first meeting**

Fionna was gathering water at a small river. The air was cold and the wind was strong, but she ignored it as she dipped her hands in the icy water. She filled the bottle and tucked it into her side, feeling its cold through he clothes. She shook off the feeling and continued her climb.  
>She was in the mountains, high enough above everything that all she could see was the fog of clouds around her. She had been running for a long time. She was weary, and desperately wanted to sleep. But not yet. She had left Aaa five days ago and still hadn't rested, and she wasn't about to now. She hadn't been able to shake the feeling that she was being followed ever since she read that stupid note. She wondered if it was one of the demons she had trapped 5 weeks ago in a magic cave and they had somehow gotten out. Maybe they were looking for revenge. Or maybe it was a spawn of the giant spider she had killed two months back. She wasn't scared, but she was worried. She didn't like anticipation, it was why she always faced things head on, face to face, always in the action.<br>She continued her trek through the mountains. If she remembered correctly she would be at the clearing soon, where she could rest and then continue. As if on cue, the clouds began to thin. The stone beneath her turned to grass.  
>The small field hidden among the rocks was perfectly concealed, thanks to multiple hot springs. The air was immediately warmer, and Fionna took a deep breath. She let the steam fill her lungs, it felt like he insides were being cleansed.<br>She fell flat on her back, beyond exhausted. She was asleep in the grass in less than one minute.  
>As soon as her eyes opened she jumped to her feet. She looked around, her eyes squinted as she observed her surroundings. She moved quickly in a circle, observing everything before she relaxed.<br>This was one of the main things Fionna missed about having Cake around, she was now constantly on guard every second. Let it down for even one moment and it could mean death.  
>Feeling more secure, but still not completely satisfied, she walked to the edge of a small hot spring, allowing the mist to conceal her totally. She waited perfectly still for five minutes, just watching, before she felt safe enough to resume her movements.<br>She was hot in the steam of the spring, and threw her cloak to the side and began taking off her boots, letting the pleasant sensation of the grass on her feet distract her for a moment. She signed happily. She began to remove the heavier protective pieces from her body, until she was down to her leather chest guard and the pants. She removed the various weapons at her side and back. She took off the chest plate, and saw down on the grass, letting the air play at her neck. Just simple white cotton wrapped around her chest remained, and it felt wonderful. She slipped off the pants.  
>She was now in her barest clothing, the cotton fabric around her top and the same around her bottom in an almost strapless bikini style. She felt exposed, but confident of her privacy. She gingerly placed her feet in the water, playing with the warmth on her toes. She began to slip her body in the water, feeling the pleasure of the warm water on her cold skin. She took one more look around before she dunked her head under and let the water flow all around her.<br>She brought her head back up and smiled to herself, letting the simply joy of the water on her skin distract her before she pulled herself up. Her hair was so long when it was wet that it dragged behind her on the ground. She squeezed the water out of it and let it just hang there. She grabbed a random sword and walked out of the steam. The cold air hit her face, but in a refreshing way. She wanted to get a good look at the place again for future visits. Maybe someday she would show Cake it. Or even Marshall, and maybe Gumball.  
>She swung the sword playfully at her side, swishing it back and forth out of habit. She walked around for a bit, letting her skin dry and her hair blow in the wind. She stopped very suddenly at a noise that pricked her ears. She retreated back into the mist quickly. She listened hard. She though she had heard the sound of rocks tumbling from her left, the direction close to where she had climbed up in the first place. She waited, unable to see through the thick steam, her ears straining.<br>There was a small noise, almost nonexistent, but it was there. The quiet but haggard breath of someone. She clenched her sword hard. She listened to the sound, trying to pinpoint its location. It was moving. And it was getting closer.  
>Fionna quickly began moving all her things together, and lowered herself to a crouch, her body almost touching the ground. The breathing came so close. She noticed that she didn't hear even the slightest footsteps. Perhaps this being was flying, maybe hovering. She was immediately gripped with fear at the thought of Marshall Lee following her. If he had come all this way, knew where she had gone, what direction this place was, what were the chances he hadn't already been seen anyways?<br>But the figure was so close now she could see the silhouette in the fog. It was not hovering, and it was not as slight as Marshal. It seemed denser, stronger. Fionna remained frozen, holding her breath as the figure moved past her, and disappeared out of sight. She released her breath, but didn't dare move.  
>After about a minute she cautiously crawled to the edge of the steam, looking out intently.<br>She didn't see anything but the grass and rocks around her, the clouds of steam rising in places. She retreated back inside her cover, and waited. The person wasn't gone, she knew they couldn't be. Not that fast, not that silently. But she didn't hear the breathing.  
>Carefully, Fionna pulled the cloak over her damp body, covering her head with the hood, ignoring the wet hair. She left her other clothes and boots off, but slung her belt on, securing a few small knives. She walked out into the open, and waited.<br>It was silent and clear. She stood very still, waiting for the person to appear. If they didn't know she was there, she would keep it that way. If they did, she would take care of that. But the only way to find out was to wait.  
>She fixed her eyes on the rising steam, focusing on anything that looked like a body. She moved her head slowly around, so she could see all around her. She waited patiently. Waiting and watching, and listening for the smallest sound.<br>There, in the steam closest to the farthest mountain point the figure immerged, it's back to Fionna. It was still concealed by steam, and she could only make out the shape. She lowered herself further to the ground. It was definitely larger than she was, but most things she had taken down were. But the element of surprise was important, and if she wanted to attack, she would immediately give herself away if she charged at it. The figure turned again and walked back into the steam. Fionna took her chance, and dashed across the field into another hot spring, letting it cover her as well. She prayed she hadn't been seen. She looked out again to make sure the coast was clear before moving into the next one, making her way from one pool to another, like hopping on stones almost as she worked her way closer to the right one.  
>She was only one hot spring away from the one the figure had been in now. As slowly as she could she moved her head partially out of the steam. She could now make out the figure in the other mass of rising steam. She could see it moving, crouching, standing, walking. It seemed to be lingering in certain places for brief moments before contemplating the next move. It began walking out of the steam. Fionna watched carefully.<br>She took her chance.  
>She sprinted into the steam the person had previously been in, and watched as the figure turned around, looking behind himself at where Fionna was but unable to see what was there. Fionna waited. It moved closer.<br>She launched herself into the air, feeling the wind rush past her and cloak fly behind her as her arms and feet came into contact with the being. It began to fall, but regained its balance quickly. Its arms reached up for her fast, but she was faster. She dug her fingers into the shoulder, and flipped behind the person, and with a great effort flung him in front of her. She was able to make out more defined features now, and noticed it was a man. She could have guessed that based on his size though. To her annoyance, the man did not tumble on the ground, rather skidded on his feet, one hand outstretched skillfully keeping composition. He raised himself quickly and moved at a surprisingly fast pace at her. But she was still halfway concealed by the fog, and she leapt into the air as he flew beneath her. He gazed upwards in time to watch her land heavily on his shoulder. Again, to her great annoyance and surprise, he remained standing, and she realized she was balancing on his shoulders. He reached upwards, and she found herself standing one footed on his head.  
>The scene could be considered extremely comical as Fionna balances on the man's head, while in complete shock, the man remained frozen for a moment. That one moment when the two had no idea what to do past very quickly though. The man snatched at her ankle, but he only managed to brush her toes as she flipped off of him. Her short sword was still in her hand, but she didn't want to use it just yet until she knew he was a threat to her life or someone else's. So she gripped it harder, and landing behind him, smashed the handle into his chest as he turned. She heard the wind leave him, and he staggered backwards, but yet again remained standing. He was so quick Fionna didn't see it coming when one of his feet cut across the ground, catching her own ankles and sending her falling. But she stuck her sword in the earth and twisted her body as she fell, using her strong arms to keep herself in a balanced pose.<br>The man dived at her, and this time she had him. She lifted herself above the ground with the sword and watched as he began to fall, missing his target. As he was about to regain his balance, Fionna flew at him, and managed to get him completely on the ground, one of the small daggers at his neck. He did not move. He was wearing a hood, and she couldn't see his face. She hoped he couldn't see hers.  
>"It's funny….I've been trying to catch you for so long, and then YOU actually catch ME." He said in a bemused voice. Fionna started, but remained stern with the knife at his vein.<br>"So you're the one following me?" She said quickly, getting to the point. She knew the answer was obvious.  
>"Yes, I was following you." He replied calmly.<br>"Why." She asked in a low voice.  
>"Because you're a human, aren't you?" He asked. His voice this time was soft, almost gentle. Fionna felt her eyes widen. Yes it was well known in Aaa that she was human, and not many people had speculated about it in other lands, but no one had seemed genuinely interested in that fact. It was almost like a small insignificant fact to everyone, that humans were a dying life form.<br>"Yes." She answered. "Why do you care?" She asked, letting the curiosity get the better of her. For all she knew, he could be a human hunter, who had been tracking her down to try and kill her, riding humans form the planet.  
>"May I?" He asked politely, moving his hands towards his face.<br>"No." Fionna said sternly, pushing the blade closer to his skin.  
>"Then you'll have to take off my hood yourself." He replied calmly, placing his hands peacefully back on the ground. Fionna studied him carefully for a moment, before taking her other hand and flicking back the hood.<br>Her eyes met a pair of deep blue ones. They were darker than hers, and had hints of green in them. They were beautiful. Her eyes looked up and down his face. He had a light tan skin color, almost the same as hers, and messy blonde hair. She was startled by such similarities, and she lost her grip on the knife. It fell from her fingers, and as she realized this in horror, she waited for his hands to close around her throat.  
>But they didn't. She stood perfectly still looking down at him, but he was only looking back at her, his hands still peacefully on the ground. All she could do was stare at this person….this human.<br>"You're…..just like me." She whispered, voicing her thoughts.  
>"Yes, I am. And I've been waiting to meet you all my life." He said calmly. She was able to look into his eyes as he said this, and they seemed honest, even good natured.<br>"May I see your face?" He asked gently. Fionna continued to gaze into his eyes. They were eager. She raised her hands and lifted back her hood, shaking out her still damp hair a bit. She opened her light blue eyes and met his gaze again. His eyes were as wide as hers.  
>"Amazing…." He murmured, his eyes searching her face hungrily. He began lifting a hand up to her cheek, but she grabbed it.<br>"I still don't know you." She said in a strong voice, gripping his wrist hard. His eyes never left hers.  
>"You're right…..I'm sorry, but you need to know I mean you no harm at all. I promise." He said gently.<br>"I don't know that." She replied, gripping his wrist harder.  
>"Then I'll start with my name. Where I'm from, I'm called Finn the Human."<br>Fionna considered answering him for a moment, but then threw caution to the wind at the thought of being with another human.  
>"I'm Fionna the Human. But I think we can drop the human part." She said, still unable to take her eyes off him.<p>

** so cute review review review**


	8. cat fight

Fionna carefully climbed off of Finn, keeping her eyes on him as he stood. He didn't bother brushing off the dirt, rather ignored it and continued to gaze at Fionna, his eyes searching her face intensely. Fionna felt a bit self conscious under his stare. She remembered she was in pretty bare clothes, and hugged the cloak tightly around herself, but could not suppress the chill that racked her cold body. She began to look around, trying to remember which spring her clothes were in.  
>She felt something heavy around her shoulders, and she flew around. Finn was almost touching her as he draped his own cloak around her small frame. She took a step back defensively. He looked at her in surprise.<br>"It's ok, I just thought you looked cold." He said in a voice that annoyed Fionna. It was as if he thought she was a wild animal that needed taming.  
>"I can take care of myself." She said roughly, throwing the cloak back to him. He caught it easily.<br>"I'm not saying you can't, but you're shaking." He pointed out. Fionna just stood there stubbornly.  
>"Well then stay here, and don't. move." She said sternly, turning her back to him as she walked over to one of the steaming pools. She grabbed her sword that was still stuck in the ground as she walked and looked over her shoulder. He was still there, following her orders. She didn't like turning her back to him still. Human or not, he could still be an enemy.<br>She found her clothes where she had left them, and began putting them on quickly. She secured all the armor and weapons carefully and felt herself stop shaking. She wondered if she had really been shaking from the cold, or if it had been the idea of someone else out there who knew how she felt. Someone who knew what it felt like to be alone in the world. She allowed herself to stand in the steam for a moment, her hair now almost dry and twirling all around her. She took a deep breath before exiting the steam.  
>Finn was sitting where she had left him, watching her as she walked over to him. She saw a thick golden sword slung on his back, and eyed it suspiciously.<br>"Why didn't you use that?" She asked, pointing at the weapon. He looked around at his back, then back at her.  
>"I didn't want to hurt you." He said simply. Fionna's face blushed with agitation.<br>"Hurt-hurt me?" She said in a high voice. "I almost killed you!" She yelled.  
>"Hey! If I wanted to you would be dead right now!" He shouted back, annoyed.<br>"Oh yeah? You'd be dead before you even stood up!" She shouted back, this time actually drawing her long sword.  
>"You didn't even scratch me!" he yelled, pulling his own thick sword out.<br>"I wasn't trying to kill you!" she said loudly, advancing on him, her sword pointed accusingly at his chest like a long finger.  
>"Well neither was I!" He yelled stupidly. He seemed to notice it wasn't a very good retort. Fionna took advantage and swung her sword at his, and before he could react his golden sword was flying away from him.<br>"Ha! Looks like you're not as good as you think!" she jeered at him, smiling triumphantly. He blushed in embarrassment and anger, and dived for his sword. Fionna allowed him to get it. He held it in both hands, defiantly.  
>"Bring it on." He said quietly.<br>"You don't stand a chance." Fionna said, laughing at him. He blushed further, grinding his teeth.  
>"You wanna bet?" He said, extending his sword out at her.<br>"Don't bet anything you can't give." She said to his further annoyance.  
>"I bet I'll beat you, and when I do, you have to come with me." He said loudly, challenging her.<br>"Well when I win, you will be my prisoner, and answer all my questions. And you can never follow me again, ever." She said sternly.  
>"Fine." He said in a begrudging voice.<br>The two stood still for a moment, their weapons held firmly by the other, their eyes locked. Then they charged at one another.  
>Finn was larger, and while fast, not as quick as Fionna, who was much lighter but still not too much shorter than him. As he raised his sword, she made a fake swing at him, and he reacted by swinging his own. As the motion carried, she ducked and flew between his legs, his body unable to respond from the momentum of the heavy swinging sword. She twisted around behind him just as he was turning, and she jumped high above his reach. She had the advantage of being much lighter and strong, she soared in the air easily. She lifted her sword high above her head, ready as she began to fall down towards him. But he was ready, and their words clashed in the air.<br>She landed hard on the ground, and felt her ankle twist, but she ignored it. Pain was nothing compared to defeat. And she would die before she lost so easily. Their swords remained clashing against each other, but Finn had the upper hand in strength, and his sword was pushing down on Fionna's. She felt her feet sliding, and knew she would have to win this fight with agility. She rolled out of the way just as the sword slashed through the air, actually cutting a small lock of her hair. But she was in the air again, leaping at him like a squirrel. She had him in a head lock, and covered his eyes with her arms. He wasn't stupid enough to try and hit his own back with the sword, so instead Finn fell flat on his back, pinning Fionna under his weight.  
>She grunted as the air left her lungs, feeling the weight crush her. She wiggled and almost managed to get out before he spun around, using his arms to keep her down, exactly the same way she had been keeping him down less than an hour ago.<br>She looked up furiously at him, breathing hard. He was smiling joyfully back down.  
>"That was awesome!" He said through panted breaths. "But I still won." He added smugly. Fionna growled and kicked his stomach with her knees, sending him backwards. He tried to hold her down again but she was out of his reach already. She sprinted in the direction of the rocks.<br>"Hey! Where are you going?" He asked, sprinting behind her, trying to keep up. Fionna didn't answer, she just flew across the ground. She took a tremendous leap forward and flipped over a large boulder, and began to skid down the rocky mountain side.  
>"Wait!" She heard Finn yell after her as he struggled with the larger rocks. Fionna ignored him as she skidded down the rocks, flying with her arms and cape behind her. It was a long decent, but she was gaining distance between herself and Finn. Of course she wasn't intending on leaving him, despite his possible threat he was still human. She wasn't about to forget that.<br>She was nearing the edge of the steeper part of the mountain, and trees were forming around her. She sprinted further into the now wooded area, easily dodging the rocks and branches. She found herself far enough away from Finn to hide now, and leaping into a tree, began to climb nimbly until she was high above, shielded by the leaves.  
>She waited for only a few seconds before Finn came rushing past, having no idea he had just past her. She took a moment to watch him run. He was definitely fast, and could probably outrun her over time, and he was definitely strong. He was not bulky, but rather a muscular young man only a bit bigger than Gumball, who was tall at his age. She wondered how old Finn was.<br>"Wait! Please!" She head him yell in the distance. He was actually very fast. She began to jump from treetop to treetop, maneuvering the branches with ease and grace. She swung from branch to branch, until she could see Finn again. He was still running, but slower, looking around. Maybe he had realized she wasn't in front of him anymore.  
>Fionna stayed very still as she watched him slow to a walk, and then he stopped. To her great surprise he turned around, and stared directly at her.<br>Fionna raised her eyebrows questioningly, as if challenging him to move. He remained still.  
>"I figured you wouldn't run away completely." He said, taking a step forward. Fionna grasped a branch steadily, ready to jump if needed.<br>"I guess you're more skillful than you look." She said mockingly. His face reddened.  
>"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, in almost a hurt voice.<br>"Oh, nothing…." She responded, keeping him distracted as she began inching her way closer to the edge of the branch.  
>"Well we can't all be skinny little squirrels, some of us actually have to have real muscle." He said in an equally mocking voice, still with a hint of hurt in it.<br>"HEY! First of all, I am not some skinny little animal, I'm just ten times better than you at climbing. And second, I am just as strong as you!" She said, forgetting her plan to jump on him, and choosing to defend herself from the tree. She was lying about the last part, since he was clearly stronger than her, but in her defense not by that much.  
>"Oh I'm SO sorry," He said sarcastically, "You're actually not skinny at all." He said with a small smile playing on his lips. Fionna's face burned angrily.<br>"Oh you have just stepped into a whole world of pain." She hissed. And without a moment's hesitation, she dived at him like a cat, her hands outstretched like claws.


	9. the idoit that finn is

**hey guys i just want to warn you that tere will be a lemon i later chapters and i will flag it to no end so any who dont want to read it can beacuse i dont want people to miss this story beacause it rated m**

They were tumbling for a while on the ground and Fionna clawed at him furiously like a crazed thing, and Finn just kept trying to pin her down. Neither one was getting anywhere, and Fionna didn't have time to grab her sword from her back.  
>Fionna couldn't help thinking that almost every time one of them had spoken it seemed they had both launched into a physical battle. How on earth were they supposed to get anywhere together without trying to cut each others throats?<br>This gave her an idea though. As Finn tried to push her off she was able to grab one of the tiny blades at her hip. It allowed Finn to pin her, but she had the knife at his neck by the time she was down.  
>"I win." She growled, poking him with the knife.<br>"No, that's cheating." He said stubbornly.  
>"We didn't even make up any rules!" She hissed, frustrated.<br>"You can't just spring a knife at me!" He said back defensively.  
>"We never said that! Now get off me or I'll slit your throat." She growled menacingly, pushing the knife closer into his skin, making the tiniest cut.<br>"No!" He said annoyingly. Fionna couldn't believe him. He had a knife at his neck and he was refusing her?  
>"What do you mean no!" She yelled at him. "Get off or I'll cut you, there is no argument!"<br>"Well I just argued. I'm not moving until you admit I won." He growled back at her.  
>"You have got to be joking! I could kill you!" she practically screeched, unable to comprehend this person's stubbornness.<br>"Come on, you wont kill me." He said plainly. He looked at her with confidence, but under her glare he seemed a bit more questioning. "Would you?" He asked tentatively.  
>"You won't know until you GET OFF ME." She said through her teeth. But Finn resumed his stubbornness and scowled down at her like a child.<br>"I won! Now-AAHHHH!" He couldn't finish, Fionna had stabbed him in the hand with the knife. He remained over her, trying to keep her down before she overpowered him as the pain distracted his body.  
>She grabbed the sword from her back, and kicking him to the ground placed one foot on his chest, and held the sword to his chin. He was clutching his hand as the blood trickled down, his face contorted in pain and fury. He opened his eyes to glare at her.<br>"What the HELL!" He yelled, squeezing his hand where the blade was still stuck.  
>"This is over, I won." She said, trying to sound victorious, but inside she felt guilty as she watched him pull the blade out and clutch at the wound.<br>"Dear Glob! Alright you won now please let me do something about this!" He said agonized. Satisfied, she threw her sword to her back and took her foot off his chest. He growled at the pain and tried to use his free hand to rummage through his pockets and satchels. He wasn't able to get very far before he cringed at the pain and dropped whatever he was holding. Fionna felt the guilt rip at her insides, and tried to ignore it. She didn't really know this person, he had been stalking her for who knows how long, and he had basically tried to kill her. She didn't need to feel anything for him.  
>And yet….<br>When she looked at his face all she saw was a kind of sweetness. A kindness and familiarity that made her feel close to him.  
>No. that was only because he was another human. No, not even that, he said he was a human. What if he wasn't even human? What if he had just said that and he was some mutant that was going to kill her and suck out her soul so he could appear to be more human?<br>Calm down.  
>The voice in her head boomed over her dark thoughts.<br>He's just a boy, just like you.  
>She took a deep breath and kneeled beside him. His face was contorted in pain, but he was controlling it. He was clumsily trying to wrap cloth around the deep cut. She reached for his hand and he jerked back, alarmed.<br>"Easy, you're doing it wrong." She said gently, knowing how if felt to be in terrible pain. You feel vulnerable, helpless, scared.  
>"Let me help you." She said in the same soothing voice. Gradually, he allowed her to take his bloody hand, wincing terribly as she did so. She examined it for a moment, and reached into her belt, pulling out a leaf. She placed it in her mouth and began to chew it, before taking the chewed up bit from her tongue and placing them in the cut.<br>"What are you doing?" He asked, horrified.  
>"Its and herb, it will help with the pain." But she could already see his face relaxing. He gave her complete control over the hand now. She continued to place the remaining herb on the wound, and began wrapping it in the cloth he had tried before. She secured it tightly, and let go of it.<br>He was still lying on his back, and now his eyes were closed. He seemed to be in a kind of dazed state at the relieved pain. She let him lay there as she watched him closely.  
>There was definitely something about his face that made her want to trust him, but she didn't know why. Here he was, lying on the ground before her completely exposed, but he wasn't afraid of her. Even after she had just stabbed him.<br>"Why do you trust me?" She said suddenly, unable to hold in the burning curiosity. He turned his head and opened one eye to look at her.  
>"I don't know, I just do." He said in a weary voice.<br>"Come on, I could kill you right now and you're just lying there. Why do you trust me?" He opened both eyes and stared at her. She met his gaze, unable to look away.  
>"Cant you just trust someone without a real reason?" He asked, interested by her question.<br>"You can't just trust someone for no reason, that's how people die!" She said exasperated.  
>"No, that's instinct. I trust you because I feel safe right now, at this moment. I trust you because I can tell you won't hurt me...well anymore." He added, looking down at the hand.<br>"Well my instinct is to never trust a stranger until you really know them, and you don't know me at all, and if you're willing to trust a complete stranger-  
>"You're not a compete stranger, I feel like I already know you." He said calmly, interrupting her.<br>She looked at him, shocked. She didn't really understand.  
>"But you don't know me." She said stupidly.<br>"I know, but if you give me a chance I could." He said gently, giving her a tentative smile. She watched him for a while, contemplating what she should do.  
>"Can I ask you about your life?" Fionna finally asked.<br>"Yes, but in return can I know a little about you?" He asked bravely.  
>She thought for a moment about this. He would be giving her personal information, she supposed she could give him some.<br>"Alright I guess….So where do you come from?" She asked quickly.  
>"Land of Ooo, far away place." He said just as quickly.<br>"Have you ever met another human?" She asked eagerly.  
>"No, except maybe this one time when I was young, but its complicated." He said, thinking back to the memory.<br>"Oh, well….is that why you were following me?" She asked, mostly because she didn't know what to say.  
>"Yeah, I've been tracking you for like a year. I actually followed you a few days ago to this castle, it was weirdly familiar, and I tried get some information out of this guy I though you knew, Prince Gumball, right?" He said. Fionna's eyes widened, and she grabbed his shirt roughly.<br>"What did you say to him? What did you do?" She asked coldly.  
>"Its ok, I didn't hurt them, all I did was-<br>"I thought you said it was just one person!" She said, horrified. How much did this person already know about her? What had he done to her friends?  
>"There was this one boy who came, I wasn't expecting him, but they both seemed to be your friends, and I swear I didn't hurt them." He said sheepishly. Fionna was furious.<br>"You followed me to my friend's home, a place I tried to keep safe for as long as I've lived, and you actually talked to him? You talked to them about me? You let them believe that some lunatic man who just bursts into castles was after me? Why would you DO that?" She said in a dangerous voice.  
>"Look, I had lost your trail, I didn't know where you were, I saw you talk to that Prince, I was desperate!" He said defensively. She let go of his shirt and stood up, rubbing her head.<br>"You have no idea how hard I have worked to make sure that place was safe, that no one would hurt my friends, that they would be ok while I stayed away from them." She said quietly. "And then you just show up, what are they supposed to make of all that?" She said, turning back to him. She resisted the urge to stab him again.  
>"Please, I'm sorry Fionna-<br>"Don't call me that! My friends call me that! You are not my friend!" She yelled.  
>"Your friends are fine, they're not hurt, no one followed me-<br>"Who was the other one." She said, cutting him off.  
>"I don't know, he was younger than me and you, dark hair, I think he was a vampire actually." He said, trying to sound calm.<br>"Marshall…" She whispered to herself.  
>"Who?" Finn asked, overhearing her.<br>"Shut up! Get on your feet." She said angrily. She didn't know what she was doing.  
>"Look, I'm sure everything's fine." He said, trying to reason with her.<br>"Everything is not fine! How can I go back there now! How can I go back to the one place where everyone I love is when it was so easy for someone to follow me and find them? How can I face them knowing I would only be putting them in danger?" She yelled, feeling hot tears trying to break free. She blinked them back.  
>"No one followed me, I couldn't even follow you, the only way I knew you were there is because I saw you climbing that tower! I was following you for months! Please, I was so desperate to meet you, I didn't meant to hurt you!" He said pleadingly as he rose to his feet.<br>"My friends, everyone I know, everyone I care about, I've put them in danger for too long." She whispered, turning her back to him.  
>"This is my fault then, not yours! Just go back and tell them." He said, taking a step towards her. She turned on him fiercely.<br>"I can never go back there now! Don't you get it? It's not safe anymore!" She yelled. A tear fell, and she brushed it away angrily.  
>"Stop saying that! So I went there! So I talked to two people, it's not the end of everything!" He said, not understanding.<br>"It is for me!" She yelled, shoving him back as he tried to come closer. "You expect those two people to just let it go that some human was there looking for me? They probably told everyone! And if other people know I was there, than anyone could know I was there!" She grabbed her sword and slashed a small tree in half out of despair and anger.  
>"They didn't know I was a human, all they knew was that I was looking for you!" He said.<br>"That's even worse! They don't even know why you were looking for me! They probably think someone was out to kill me, and glob knows there are already plenty of people trying to do that, and now for all I know they could be back at my home doing damage to an already fragile problem!" Fionna was loosing control over herself. She was hyperventilating, she began to pull at her hair, her eyes wide and crazed. "What the hell was I doing? I should never have gone back there I should have just stayed where I was and now they could be dead! They could be dead! They could be dead and it's all my fault!" She was half hysterical by now, and she wanted to hit herself for loosing it.  
>She was thrown off guard as Finn grabbed her into a bear hug, his arms secure around her.<br>"Let go of me!" She yelled, trying to beat her fists against his chest, but he was too strong, and only squeezed her tighter.  
>"No. I know how you feel, and I'm telling you its going to be ok." He said softly.<br>"How could you know how I feel! Its-its not going t-to be ok!" She said, trying to keep the tears back. She stopped fighting and let him hold her as the tears poured down.  
>"I have so much to tell you Fionna, and right now I'm telling you its going to be ok." He said gently.<br>Fionna ignored all of her hatred and ager for him at that moment, and allowed herself to bury her face in his shoulder and cry. In one moment this boy had both ruined and saved her life. She felt like all the loneliness of being the last human gone, but all the pain of the idea that Cake and Marshall and Gumball were in danger or thought that she was dead hurt her like a fist. She clutched Finn, feeling her fingers dig into his skin. She tried to let go of all the terrible thoughts rolling around in her head, tried to breathe steadily.  
>She slowly relaxed her body, feeling the tears stop and the breathing gradually slow. She felt the arms around her loosen, and eventually release.<br>She fell to the ground immediately, exhausted. Finn reached down to her, worry on his face.  
>"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asked anxiously. Fionna shook her head, her arms giving in under the weight of her body. She lay in the grass, her body shaking slightly.<br>"How long was it since you had a real sleep?" He asked softly.  
>"Maybe five days…." She said in a weak voice.<br>"You really need to rest more often." He said.  
>"I was running for so long because I saw your stupid note." She complained, unable to lift herself.<br>"What note?" Finn asked curiously.  
>"The one you left." Fionna said, already struggling to keep her eyes open. It felt like she had just drunken a full sleeping potion.<br>Finn didn't answer, instead he pulled off his cloak and put it under her head as a make-shift pillow. He watched as she immediately fell into a deep sleep. Her breathing slowed, her face relaxed. He watched her, his eyes never moving from her face. She was really human, and she was everything he had hoped she would be. She was brave and strong and smart, she was magnificent. He didn't want to wake her, but couldn't resist reaching out a hand to stroke her cheek. He was amazed that she slapped his hand away and opened her eyes a fraction, before returning to her deep slumber. She must have been alone for a long time, he thought.  
>His thoughts drifted back to what she had said about a note, but he pushed that thought aside. He didn't want to worry her about it. He hadn't known what she was talking about.<br>Besides, she was probably just saying that because she was so tired.  
>So Finn sat on the ground, watching as the other human slept.<p>

**hahahahahahaha oh my glob i laughed so hard at this chapter sorry for not updating my famil will be moving soon and we went to check out property so yay here we go if i get 50 reviews i might post two chapters at a time hahahahaha see you guys later**


	10. what gumball has been doing

**hey guys i been sumiting all your revies to the real author and she loves it so imgoing to be putting up some more chapters so here you go**

"Sire, there hasn't been any sign of the man you describe, and you've questioned every visitor we were able to find. We don't believe he's in the Candy Kingdom anymore." A large soldier addressed Prince Gumball.  
>"He MUST be here somewhere!" Gumball said, following a loud crash as his fist hit the table beside him.<br>"Dude, I've been circling the Candy Kingdom for days, I need a break!" Marshall Lee complained, half asleep on a nearby chair.  
>"Marshall we've been over this, if he remains hidden-<br>"I GET IT. But come ON Bubba! Do you actually think he's still here? No one's that good at hiding except maybe me and Fionna, or Cake if she shrinks down." Marshall said, rubbing his eyes.  
>"We have to be sure! You have to remember that we have absolutely no idea what he wants with Fionna, what he could be doing right now, what he could be finding out about her, we don't know ANYTHING. And that makes us very vulnerable." He said with a furrowed brow, thinking hard. "Send a small group of guards to search the nearby woods again." He said with a wave of his hand, dismissing the soldier.<br>"You really think that's gonna help?" Marshall asked blearily.  
>"It's better than nothing. Now you've been a bat while you've been looking, right?" He asked Marshall seriously.<br>"Duh. And to answer your next question I haven't seen any sign of him or Fionna." Marshall said with his eyes half closed.  
>"What about Fionna?"<br>Marshal and Gumball turned sharply at the sound of Cake. She was standing in the doorway, smiling and holding a basket of muffins.  
>"Oh, er….we were just thinking….about, her….her last visit." Marshall stammered, sitting up very straight.<br>"Yes! How she said she would be coming soon!" Gumball said quickly, covering up Marshall's slow response.  
>"Oh. Well I don't know about you, but I for one am just thrilled! I was thinking we should have a party, that's why I stopped by Gumball. Considering how you are known for your grand balls and stuff." Cake said, smiling as she placed the muffins on a desk. Marshall floated over to examine them, and was pleased to find a red velvet muffin in the basket. He eyed Gumball as he bit into the muffin, and they exchanged a meaningful look.<br>They had obviously not told Cake, considering how she would panic over the situation. Marshall had put up a fight that she should know, but Gumball had argued that she was a mother now, and had an obligation to her family. Worrying about Fionna wouldn't help her, Gumball had said.  
>"I had really been looking forward to her letter, it's really unlike Fi to not leave one." Cake said, a bit of disappointment in her voice. This was yet another thing they had hidden from Cake, on account of the fact that the letter was now in possession of a possible murderer.<br>"But she's coming soon, so we'll all get to ask her questions when she comes." Marshall said, changing the subject to a happier thought.  
>"Exactly. And I can't wait to show that girl my little babies! And Gumball, about the party?" Cake said.<br>"Of course there will be a party, everyone will be invited, it will be extravagant and joyful to be sure!" He said with fake enthusiasm. Cake didn't notice.  
>"And it should be a surprise party, and we should have a big banner that says something like 'welcome back hero!' and all her favorite food too! I don't know what that child has been eating but she looks like a stick!" Cake rambled on cheerfully.<br>"Right, I'll get right on it Cake. Thank you very much for the muffins. And how are the children?" Gumball asked, only half listening. Cake had raised his awareness to the fact that he didn't exactly know when Fionna was coming back, or even if she would come back….  
>"Well Fionna said her first word, and it was 'tail' if you haven't heard, and we think Leo might have some of my powers, I swear yesterday he stretched across the table." Cake went on. Marshall flinched, he still wasn't used to the idea of referring to one of Cake and Mocro's kids as Fionna.<br>"Well I better get back, Mocro wants to visit, and I don't like leaving the babies with a stranger." Cake said as she waved to them, walking out the door.  
>"Goodbye Cake!" Gumball said.<br>"Yeah, bye." Marshall said, busy searching for another red muffin.  
>The two waited until they heard the footsteps disappear and turned to each other.<br>"Don't you think she's gonna figure something out when Fionna doesn't turn up, or this dude comes back? She IS an adventurer too gummy. She's not dumb." Marshall pointed out, falling back into the chair.  
>"Let's just try and keep all this contained for as long as we can. Once Fionna is confidently safe we can put it behind us, until them, if Lord Monicromicorn is visiting I can take a look around the woods." Gumball said, looking out the window at the setting sun.<br>"You are aware that a giant horse thing and a guy in bright pink aren't that hard to notice, right?" Marshall said.  
>"Well it's not like you can do anything considering you're about to fall asleep." Gumball huffed, already walking out the door. He didn't get a respond from Marshall, who had just shrugged his shoulders and curled up.<br>But Gumball wasn't going to be searching the woods tonight. He had another place he wanted to visit. And as Mocro greeted him at the entrance, tapping his hoof with news and greeting, Gumball gave the location he wanted to go. Mocro tapped questioningly at first, but allowed Gumball to silently climb on and be carried to the destination.  
>The tree house was exactly the same as he remembered it. He had never visited it as much as Fionna had come to the Candy Kingdom, but he had been here plenty of times.<br>"Keep watch while I'm inside please, I shouldn't be too long." He said smiling at his questioning friend. He walked inside.  
>A thin layer of dust covered almost everything. Cake came every now and then to collect things, so it was never really abandoned. But the home had a lonely and cold feeling to it. Gumball examined the shelves lined with photographs, dusting them off and smiling at them. Most of them were pictured of Cake, himself, and Marshall Lee. There were very little of Fionna. Gumball guessed that Cake had taken most of them.<br>Gumball climbed the ladder that led to the upstairs, and found the room too dark to see much. He lit a candle by a bed and looked around. The bed next to him must have been Fionna's. He realized that he had never actually seen it. He had never seen her sleep, or even what pajamas she wore. He felt like he was in a stranger's house. A place he didn't belong.  
>He sat down on the bed, small clouds of dust moving around him. He looked around the room, letting his eyes wander. The candle light reflected on something shiny. He looked down.<br>A bit of broken glass peeked out from under the bed, and he lowered the candle to look at it better. He gently moved aside the glass and took the picture in his hands, placing the candle next to him. A small smile formed on his face as he looked down at a young Fionna. She looked maybe 17 in the picture. She was silhouetted against a rising sun, her hair hiding most of her face and body, but not the deep blue eyes that stared back into the camera, a look of surprise in them. She was sitting in the windowsill that was only a few feet from where Gumball was now. It looked like she was about to jump.  
>Cake must have taken this when she visited last, Gumball thought to himself. He took the picture and tucked it into his pocket, feeling it there like a weight. He took one last look around the place, feeling like a ghost haunting a once loved home.<br>He walked to the door and opened it, and slowly clambered back onto Mocro.  
>As the wind hit his face he clutched the image in his pocket. It felt like it was the only thing keeping him from floating away.<p> 


End file.
